The Allure of Ronald Weasley
by Auden
Summary: Hermione and Harry spend another summer at the Burrow with Ron. What they don't realize is they will both be attracted to the same man! Find out what happens, please R&R. I plan to write at least 10 chapters as well as finish the story.
1. Happily Reunited

_The Allure of Ronald Weasley: Chapter 1_

**Disclaimer: **I am not J K Rowling. However much I wish I was, or however much I wish I had her money, alas, I am not. So please don't sue me, I'm a college girl with no money!

**A/N:** This is my first fanfic, so please be nice! I would love reviews, so I know if there is any interest out there for my story or not. I've also rated it M to be safe, for later chapters. This story has some R/Hr but also R/H for later chapters, so if you don't like slash, don't read! Without further ado… I'd like to present:

**Chapter 1: Happily Reunited**

The plan was set. Hermione was to come to the Burrow today because she didn't want to spend the next two weeks looking for arrowheads in Nevada with her Muggle parents, whatever arrowheads were. Harry was being forced to stay at his Aunt and Uncle's house another week, on Dumbledore's orders.

Ron didn't really understand why, but he figured that Dumbledore probably knew what he was doing. What he wasn't looking forward to was a whole week with just Hermione. Yeah, she was one of his best friends, but she wasn't quite the same as having Harry around.

Ron was upstairs; tidying up his room, because Mrs. Weasley had a fit when she saw what condition it was in. Ron was the only one occupying it, so of _course_ it was in a right state.

In fact, he was the only one in the house lately. Bill and Charlie were both out of the country, training Aurors in Italy. Fred and George were living above their joke shop in Diagon alley, and Ginny was spending the summer holidays with a friend in her year. His dad seemed to always be at work, and his mother was usually out as well, running errands or helping out Dad at the Ministry.

Actually, Ron felt quite lonely most of the time, and he resorted to sitting around the house or watching the gnomes fight in the yard over who gets what flowerbed. He didn't do anything productive, let alone clean his room.

"Ronald Weasley!" Mrs. Weasely's voice boomed up the stairs. "Your room had better be clean before you can say 'Quidditch,' because Hermione will be arriving soon and I don't want her to think I'm not raising you fit!"

Ron mumbled. Hermione already knew he was a slob, so who cares? Sometimes his lack of effort'd annoy her, but she would forget about it and clean up after him in the end. Ron smiled, thinking about how Hermione always gave in and seemed to fix everything.

Ron must've mused for a while and forgot what he was doing, because it seemed only moments later when Mrs. Weasley called up the stairs. "Honestly, Ronald! For the third time! Are you going to come and greet our guest or not?"

Ron jumped with a start and leapt over a pile of rubbish and reached the top of the stairs. Had he been daydreaming or something? Yeah, must have. He saw his mother greeting Hermione by the fireplace.

_She must've traveled by floo_, thought Ron, as he descended the steps. He was right, because when Hermione turned around, her face was covered in soot. Not that she looked bad or anything. She had a white collared shirt on, and a short, jean skirt that had gone somewhat askew while traveling.

_Wow,_ he thought, _she has nice legs…_

"Oh Ron! I've missed you so much!" cried Hermione, as she ran up to him and gave him a huge hug. This caught Ron quite off guard, because he had been lost in thought. He almost lost his balance, but hugged her all the same. She felt warm, and her curly, brown hair smelled faintly of peppermint and lavender.

They embraced for a few seconds, until he could hear Hermione's muffled voice in his shoulder. "Um, Ron, you can let me go now," she giggled.

"Oh, right," breathed Ron, as he quickly pushed away, ears turning red.

_I've hugged her a million times, why did I just forget where I was?_ Thought Ron. _I must be tired or something._

"I'm going to go upstairs, I think I'm getting a little lightheaded," said Ron quickly, as he made for the stairs.

"Don't be silly Ronald, you look fine to me," stated Mrs. Weasley. "Help Hermione take her things up to Ginny's room."

Ron sighed as he grabbed for two of Hermione's suitcases. They were as heavy as bricks! Why did girls need to pack so much?

"I'm sorry to leave on such short notice," began Mrs. Weasley, "but Arthur has just owled and he needs help at the Ministry. We should be back late tonight," she sighed. As an afterthought, she added, "there's some left-over meatloaf in the stove for later, help yourselves." Molly Weasley looked very tired, yet managed to smile and kiss both Ron and Hermione on the cheek before disapparating.

Hermione smiled. "I'm so glad to get out of that dumb trip my parents were going to drag me on," she started. "I'd rather not spend every day in the hot sun digging in the dirt, thank-you-very-much. Besides, I have tons of reading to catch up on, how could I possibly get it done there?"

She said this all very fast. Ron didn't quite catch everything, so he just nodded.

"Well, if you're looking for any kind of excitement, you won't find it here. I'm usually the only one home," said Ron. "Maybe by the end of the summer you'll be wishing you were out actually doing something."

"Don't be silly, Ron. I love spending time with you." Ron's ears went red, and mumbled something under his breath that was inaudible.

Hermione shrugged and began to go up the stairs with her other suitcase, while Ron followed closely behind. "I'm sure we'll find something to do in this house," she presented.

"Yeah, maybe. You know, you'd better take a shower, your clothes and face are all covered in soot." Said Ron, as they reached Ginny's room, where Hermione would be sleeping. She put down her luggage.

"Really? I thought it added to the look!" she grinned, as she struck a pose. Ron smiled, as his eyes unconsciously traveled to her legs.

_What am I doing?_ He screamed in his head as he looked back up at her expectant face. _Did I just check her out? No… maybe I just need to lie down._

"Well, I think I am going to take a shower," began Hermione.

"Yeah, I'm just gonna go in my room and lie down or something." Interrupted Ron, as he quickly left and went up some more stairs to his room. He plopped down on his bed and looked up to the ceiling.

_This is going to be a long week, _he thought.


	2. Awakened Desire

_The Allure of Ronald Weasley: Chapter 2_

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters. J K Rowling does. The only thing I own is the plot! ;)

**A/N:** Thank you so much for your reviews! Pinkpygmypuff, you read my mind… Emily, how did you know that I'm an Alfonso Cuaron fan? Orli-enthusiast (I'm one too!), thanks, I hope you like where the story is going!

And please review, so I know there's still interest for my story! Thanks :)

**Chapter 2: Awakened Desire**

Once Ron had left, Hermione began to unpack her shower things. As she did this, she began to get lost in thought.

Ron had grown a lot in just a month's time, she noticed. Yes, they were entering their seventh year and he was pretty tall already, but he seemed to have grown more, manlier, so to speak. His shoulders had broadened and he didn't look as lanky as before. Heck, he even looked kinda handsome.

_Hermione, what are you thinking? It's just Ron, _she thought, as she walked to the bathroom. _Same old irresponsible Ron._

She smiled as she opened the door, took off her clothes, and turned on the faucet.

_But he did seem to be checking me out when I came…_

No, he was probably just disgusted at how dirty you were.

_He was definitely looking at my legs._

Because your skirt is so short! Anyone would look!

Maybe I wanted him to look. 

Don't be ridiculous. Why are you even thinking about this? It's just Ron.

Hermione quickly pushed the thoughts aside as she began to shower. As she finished, she wrapped a small towel around her body. She had forgotten to bring extra clothes into the bathroom, so she quickly walked back to her room and shut the door.

Too lazy to dress, she plopped down on her bed and closed her eyes. Her mind wandered as her thoughts dwelled on Ron. In reality, she was exhausted and must've fallen asleep, because the next thing she realized was a quiet knock on her door as it squeaked open.

"Hermione, I'm starving… how about y-" Ron stopped dead in his tracks as he noticed her sitting up suddenly, clutching the towel tightly around her body.

It took Hermione a few moments before she realized that she wasn't still dreaming, and she let out a delayed "eep!" before Ron could speak.

"OH. I'm… I'll just… yeah…" he stuttered, as he turned around quickly and slammed the door behind him.

Hermione nervously giggled and bit her lip. _Well that was a little awkward, _she thought.

She quickly dressed and went up to his room to get Ron. She quietly opened his door and saw him lying on his bed, eyes wide. He was startled by her entrance and sat up quickly.

"I… I'm s-"

"Don't worry about it Ron, lets just go get something to eat." Said Hermione. She was surprised at herself how confident she had become. She couldn't even imagine how she would have reacted even one year ago. She would have been embarrassed for weeks. But she felt comfortable now, especially with Ron. There was just… just something about him, and she couldn't place what.

Ron nodded uneasily and followed her out to the kitchen.

After they ate dinner, they both felt more relaxed. They decided to go out into the yard to talk more, because it was nice out.

It was about 8 o'clock and the sun was beginning to set. The air was warm and a soft breeze played upon their faces. It was actually quite nice. They decided to sit on the grass and talk about how excited they were to start their final year at Hogwarts. Actually, it was more like Hermione talking about how she was excited and Ron agreeing, though secretly not wanting to go back to school at all.

The week seemed to go by quickly. Ron and Hermione almost always had the house to themselves, because Mrs. Weasley needed to leave for work for the Order daily. They often found themselves talking late into the night, laying on the cool grass and looking up at the stars.

On the day before Harry was to come to the Burrow, Ron and Hermione found themselves lying on the grass once more, looking up at the stars.

"Say, Ron," said Hermione, after a long pause in conversation.

"Yeah, 'Mione?"

"Isn't it amazing? How many stars there are… billions and billions of galaxies…I mean, I've read about them in all of my Astronomy books, but I still find it hard to comprehend just how big everything really is…"

"Yeah, it is pretty wild."

"It just makes you realize how small you are, in comparison to everything else. It's like this war. It's so insignificant and stupid… costing all these lives… and in the broad scheme of things, we're really just a grain of sand on the huge beach of the universe."

Ron nodded in silence as he gazed up at the heavens. "Say, Hermione, do you believe in soul mates?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, there's one person out there for you… that you would be perfectly happy with for the rest of your life."

Hermione turned her head and looked at Ron, who was lying down, with his arms behind his head. He turned his head and started into Hermione's wide, hazel eyes. The full moon bathed her face in moonlight, making her look more stunning than he had ever seen her. She smiled, and reached for his hand.

Ron's stomach lurched. He didn't know why, and he wasn't sure he really wanted to know.

"Well Ron, I really think…"

BANG!

Ron held his breath. Hermione had been interrupted by a loud noise coming from over by the house.

"What was that?" whispered Hermione, but Ron hushed her. He strained to see, but the darkness was pressing in from all around them.

"I don't know that that was." said Ron. But he dared not speak the rest of what was on his mind.

_All I know is that we're in danger._


	3. The Rescue

_The Allure of Ronald Weasley: Chapter 3_

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter. Sad, I know.

**A/N:** Thanks for everyone who has reviewed! Sorry that it took a while, but this chapter is a bit longer because I was on a roll… anyway, remember to review this one! Criticism and flames allowed! The button won't click itself… ;)

**Chapter 3: The Rescue**

Ron and Hermione exchanged significant looks as they laid in silence, waiting for a sound.

To their relief, they could hear the familiar voices of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley entering the house. One of them must have accidentally knocked over a rubbish bin. Hermione released her breath and gave a sigh of relief, as Ron laughed under his breath at how frightened he had been.

They both took it as their cues to go inside, but secretly, Hermione wished that their time alone could've lasted longer.

As they entered the house, Arthur Weasley turned suddenly and urgently handed Hermione a flashlight.

"I need you to leave, now."

* * *

Tick… tick… tick… they can't be getting louder, can they?

Harry looked at his bedside clock. Two… something. He sighed, slightly frustrated by his poor eyesight. He grabbed for his glasses and held them up to the bridge of his nose. 2:21 am. How had it only been 3 minutes since he last checked? He sighed again and limply tossed his glasses to the table beside an empty glass. He longed to refill his cup with water; his throat was dry and hot. Harry cursed quietly under his breath, remembering the numerous padlocks that Dursleys had clamped on his bedroom door hours before.

Harry squinted at the clock again. 2:22. He wiped his sweating brow and looked down at his chest. Nights like these were much too hot for wearing shirts, he reasoned, as he painfully propped himself up by the elbows and proceeded to lift his extra large shirt over his sweating face.

He, like Ron, had the look of someone who had grown a lot in a short amount of time. He had already come of age, and his body decided that now was the time to catch up. He had grown broader shoulders and his chest had become more defined.

Harry hadn't really noticed his change in physique, but the neighborhood girls had. Harry had always wondered why the girls giggled as he walked by. He took it for granted that they were just making fun of him for going to St. Brutis'.

Harry lay back down and attempted to close his eyes and take his mind somewhere else. How much longer would he have to withstand this torture? Almost two months and no word from Hermione or Ron? The Weasleys were supposed to send him an owl weeks ago! Frustrated, Harry stretched his arms out harshly and then placed his hands on his chest. Although he had feelings of restlessness and anger towards his friends, it was all stemmed from his loneliness. He missed them so much. He missed the past summers, consisting of late nights spent with Ron at the Burrow, letting out his worries and thoughts.

It's been tough lately, he thought, not having anyone around but Dudley. And lord knows _he_ can't lend a sympathetic ear. Harry chuckled to himself, thinking of the absurdity of Dudley being kind at all, and drifted off into a lucid sleep, consisting of images of Dudley in a pink gown, hovering over small children and granting them wishes.

It had seemed as though Harry had just closed his eyes when he felt a poke in his side. Half asleep, Harry merely rolled over and mumbled. Poke. Poke.

_Damn wand_, he thought. Because of his lack of a belt, he had to keep his wand tucked into his waste band. He didn't dare go to sleep without it in arm's reach, especially with the way things stood in the Wizarding World. Harry slowly reached for his wand, when he realized it wasn't in its usual place. Still half asleep, Harry figured it had just fallen down his shorts. As he reached his hand sleepily down his boxers, he felt around for his fallen wand. "Harry! PLEASE!"

Harry bolted up, wide awake, startled by the foreign voice in his room. His heart pounded, increasing speed by his fright of the voice and darkness. Harry snatched up his glasses and carelessly threw them on as he anxiously peered into the dark. It wasn't much help.

"Now, was it really necessary to fondle yourself in front of me?" Harry grinned as he recognized the familiar sarcastic tone.

"Hermione!" he whispered in sudden joy. "Where are you?" A bright light suddenly clicked on near the foot of his bed, obviously a flashlight. Harry squinted as his eyes began to slowly adjust to the new lighting. Hermione quickly looked away, blushing, realizing that Harry didn't have a shirt on.

Despite her embarrassment, she quickly looked back at him and whispered, "Harry, oh, am I ever so glad to see you! Those horrible Dursleys! They've been keeping all of your mail! At least, that's what we think… we've sent you about 20 owls, honest!" Harry wasn't really listening to every word Hermione was rambling about. In fact, he had no idea what she just said in her hurried speech, for he was just so relieved that his friend was here to save him from Privet Drive. "I mean, the first one we sent was about…"

Harry interrupted her. "Enough of this small talk, we'll have plenty of time for that later. What's your plan of escape?"

Hermione grinned. "Well, this flashlight I'm holding will serve as a portkey at exactly 3am. As long as you're touching your trunk, Hedwig, and whatever else you need, they'll come with us too. You know, Harry, you really ought to get some proper clothes on, us transporting back to the Burrow and all…" Hermione continued to speak in hushed tones, but Harry didn't catch the rest of what she was saying.

_The Burrow… _he thought happily. The sound of Hermione's voice uttering these words reverberated throughout his being. A warm feeling overcame him as he closed his eyes and pictured himself arriving at the Burrow, Ron standing at the door, arms wide open, waiting for him. He would give Ron a big hug; he would rustle his red, flaming hair. What he had been dreaming about for months would finally come true. Harry got so caught up in his fantasy, he could smell the Burrow, feel the warmth of Ron's body… Ron leaned into Harry's ear and began to whisper…

"HARRY? Are you listening to me at all?"

Hermione jolted him back to reality. "Oh, Harry, I said that we only have 8 minutes left! The Weasleys said it was imperative that we get you out of here as soon as possible… get your belongings together so we can make sure we are touching everything as we depart."

Harry reluctantly agreed, upset that his thoughts were interrupted. He quietly began to pull his floorboards up to retrieve his quill and parchment. He was about to ask Hermione if she had seen his wand, when he heard footsteps outside his door. "Shit!" he gasped. Panicking, he motioned for Hermione to turn out the light. She quickly did so, as Harry whispered "in the closet!" Hermione urgently crept into his closet and Harry jumped silently into his bed.

Click. Click. Someone was unlocking the padlocks to Harry's door. Harry quickly glanced at the clock. 2:54. Realizing he still had his glasses on, he whipped them off and stuffed them under his pillow.

Click. Creeeaaak. Harry's door slowly opened, and he suddenly closed his eyes, pretending to be in a deep sleep. Seconds, maybe minutes seemed to pass, until he heard Uncle Vernon's familiar grunt as he slammed the door shut, taking special care not to be quiet in order to otherwise disturb a peacefully dreaming Harry.

Harry heard Hermione let out a sigh of relief as she quietly opened the door and crept out of the closet. "Gee, that was a close –"

"Hermione! We have less than a minute! Grab my hand so I can transport with you. God… turn on that damned light, I can't see a thing." Hermione obeyed sourly, having been interrupted and told orders, and cast a stream of light across the room, illuminating Harry's face as shadows danced upon the floor.

At that moment, Harry and Hermione felt the familiar sensation of a hook grabbing behind their stomachs, as they were suddenly transported to the Burrow. They arrived in the living room, with Ron waking suddenly from the couch.

Ron rubbed his eyes and came to his senses. "Sorry that Mum and Dad couldn't be here Harry, but they had Order business, you know…"

But Harry didn't care. He was too excited for words to see Ron, and as he stood up, Harry lunged at him and tackled him to the floor in a big hug. Ron laughed playfully as he turned and pinned Harry on the floor. Harry looked up and saw the familiar face of his best friend staring back down at him, as a warm feeling filled Harry's chest.

Ron grinned as he got up and helped Harry up by giving him his hand. Once Harry had grabbed for Ron's hand, he felt something. Something he had never felt before. His face became flushed and his stomach seemed to rise a little higher. It was similar to the feeling he got when he finally got a date with Cho. It gave him hope.

_Maybe it's just because I need some sleep_, he reasoned. Once he got up, though, all he knew was that he was sad he couldn't have held on to Ron's hand any longer.

_It's just because I've missed him so much. It's been torture at the Dursley's, _thought Harry.

"You can have Fred and George's room, they're off living at their joke shop. Can you believe it?" Ron exclaimed.

Harry shook his head as the trio walked up the stairs with Harry's trunk.

As they walked up the stairs, Hermione slowed down to watch Ron and Harry, and a little green monster was rising up inside of her. She knew she would have to do something about it, and soon.


	4. Hermione's Plan

_The Allure of Ronald Weasley: Chapter 4_

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter not mine.

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate them. Taya J Weasley, thanks for your mention about Harry being a little OoC, I'm trying to keep them as in character as possible, so I'll work on it:) And remember, please review this chapter, I'd love to hear your feedback! And now, drum roll please, for:

**Chapter 4: Hermione's Plan**

As Ron and Harry brought his luggage up to Harry's new sleeping quarters, Hermione mumbled something having to do with "going to her room" and "needing to finish reading." The boys shrugged it off and started unpacking Harry's things from his trunk.

While they were unpacking, Harry began to spill everything that was on his mind to Ron. Everything including how alone he felt at Privet Drive, how hungry he always was because the Dursleys weren't feeding him, and how the lack of hearing about Voldemort made him nervous about what he was planning.

It felt really nice to have someone to finally talk to. Harry and Ron talked for hours until they heard the birds announce dawn approaching and Ron was doing a lot more yawning than speaking.

After Ron had left, Harry laid down on his bed, even though he wasn't the least bit tired. It felt like his mind was going a mile a minute. He was so excited to be at the Burrow, where it felt like home.

Home. Privet Drive never felt like home to him. He was so ready to leave the Dursleys, to live back where he belonged, that in retrospect, he realized he had been quite snippy with Hermione. He made a mental note to apologize to her later.

_Though,_ he thought, _why had I been short with her?_

_It wasn't because I wasn't excited to see her. I love Hermione, _thought Harry,_ and I hadn't seen her in months. So why wasn't I as excited to see her as I was to see Ron?_

But I was excited.

_Not because you wanted to see her. Because you knew you were being taken away to the Burrow._

Harry's thoughts dwelled on this for a while as he noticed his room getting lighter and lighter with the sunrise.

The truth was, Harry had been angry at his friends moments before the rescue. He was upset that it had taken them so long to come, and he had let his anger out on Hermione.

Or maybe it was because he had secretly wanted Ron to rescue him, and once Hermione came, Harry just couldn't wait to see his best mate.

Although these thoughts were enough to fill Harry's head for hours, something else was bothering Harry, something he dared not even name in his thoughts. Something he knew he would never share with even his two closest friends. He wasn't sure he had even felt it, and the thought frightened him.

When he had tackled Ron the night before, and Ron had Harry pinned down, Harry had the slightest urge to do something. Ron's face was above Harry's, and Harry could feel Ron's excited breath steaming up his glasses. At that moment, Harry had wanted more than anything in the world to lean his head in and kiss Ron.

Harry knew that this was absurd, that he was probably just overwhelmed by the excitement of coming back to the Burrow. But there was still that weird feeling that he had had.

Harry felt like he had done something wrong, even though nothing wrong was done. Harry knew that he didn't like guys. That just wasn't who he was. Harry liked girls… he remembered when Ginny had liked him and he was flattered. He remembered when he had butterflies in his stomach whenever Cho was around.

Though… neither of those relationships had worked out. Once out with Cho, Harry had realized that he was chasing a fantasy. He wasn't really happy with her. And after Harry's short-lived relationship with Ginny, he had realized it was just the hormones that had driven him to want to go out with someone.

So, was it true that he didn't really like girls?

_No!_ Thought Harry. _This is crazy. I just haven't found the right girl yet. There's no way in hell that I'm g-… that I like R-… that I wanted to-_

Frustrated, Harry violently kicked off his blankets. What was going on in his mind? It was like the voice of reason, but without any reason he could see.

But Harry knew, deep down, what thoughts were frightening him most.

Harry tried to force these absurd thoughts out of his mind while trying to fall asleep. He figured that the Weasleys would be home soon and wondering why Harry was not only underfed, but ready to pass out from sleep deprivation as well.

But Harry figured wrong. The Weasleys didn't come back the next morning. While Harry and Ron were eating breakfast, Ron assured Harry that it was "probably just Order business, you know, they're always out doing top secret stuff," though Harry had a hard time believing that Ron believed it himself.

Mrs. Weasley was always home in the mornings when Ron woke up to make him breakfast, and now Harry and Ron had resorted to trying to make oatmeal, failing miserably, and eating it anyways because they were both too nice to say that the other one had screwed up and that it tasted horrible.

Surprisingly, Hermione didn't come down to breakfast, or lunch. It was well past three in the afternoon before Hermione emerged from her room to find something to eat.

Harry and Ron had been playing wizard chess in the living room, and Ron had just taken Harry's queen. They were laughing at how Harry's queen was cowering before Ron's pawn when Ron went silent and his mouth gaped open while staring up at the top of the stairs.

Harry, confused, followed Ron's eyes and felt just as surprised as Ron looked.

Standing on the steps, was a Hermione that they had never seen before.

She was wearing red heels with pointed tips, and a short, tight skirt. She wore a thin, white sleeveless top, and she must have used some kind of muggle hair serum because her hair was silky looking and shiny. It seemed longer from being straightened, and it lay upon her shoulders, seeming almost liquid in motion.

She had obviously been experimenting with makeup, because her eyelashes looked longer and curlier and her lips more full and pink.

Ron sat at the edge of the sofa, gaping at Hermione.

Harry was the first to say anything. "Hermione, what…. on…. Earth are you wearing?"

Hermione grinned, (though Harry thought a little mischievously) and continued to walk down the stairs.

"Oh, I thought I would try a new look I guess. I went shopping with Lavender and her older sister a while ago, and she said I needed a makeover or something. Anyway, I just never tried on my new clothes, and I thought I would ask you two what you thought. Ron?"

Ron's eyes seemed to glaze over, and it took a sharp and annoyed stab in the side by Harry to rouse him from his state.

"Oh! Wow! Hermione, you look… wow!" Said Ron, eyes wide. His tongue seemed to be getting in the way of his speaking ability. "I just, wow, you look great Hermione, really great, I just, wow."

Harry rolled his eyes. He didn't know what Hermione was up to but he thought that she looked kind of silly. Knowing that Hermione would probably seem really annoying to him right now, Harry excused himself to go upstairs and organize his socks. Ron didn't really pay attention and answered, "Great, get me one too."

Harry let out a sharp breath of annoyance and hopped up the stairs two by two.

Once Harry had slammed his door, Hermione walked over to Ron and sat next to him on the sofa.

"Hi Hermione!" said Ron.

"Uh, hi Ron. Listen. Do you want to… go for a walk?"

Ron nodded eagerly and the couple got up from the couch and walked towards the door.

As they exited the house, Hermione added, "There's something I need to talk to you about."


	5. Soul Mates

_The Allure of Ronald Weasley: Chapter 5_

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything, except my cute green iPod and the plot.

**A/N: **Sorry it's been so long since my last chapter, but I've been getting ready for College and I've been pretty busy. I leave in 9 days: )

But enough about that! Please read and review, and thanks to everyone that has been reviewing, I really appreciate it!

**Chapter 5: Soul Mates**

Hermione and Ron walked out the front door and into the beautiful Weasley garden. The weather was forgiving to those sick of sweltering summer days, since September was approaching and the hot and humid days were less and less frequent.

Hermione cursed at herself for wearing her ridiculous outfit, because she was actually quite cold. She had gotten it as a gift from Lavender's sister because she was going on and on about how Hermione needed to look more feminine. Hermione remembered getting angry but she took the clothes anyway because she didn't want to be rude.

A consistent wind was blowing at her arms and legs, but she convinced herself that it was worth it to get Ron's attention. She knew she had to annoy Harry enough so he would get out of the way while she had some alone time with Ron. She missed their week together before Harry came.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she looked over at Ron, who was constantly staring at her. Whenever he noticed her looking over and catching his eye, he blushed and quickly turned his head and pretended he was immensely interested in the bird feeder they were walking by.

_Maybe this wasn't such a good idea,_ she thought.

Yes, it was. Don't you want his attention?

_Yes, I do. But not like this. I want him to love me for who I-_

Did you just say love?

_NO! No, I meant like. I mean, I just want to be closer to Ron-_

You mean closest. You know how jealous you got when Ron and Harry were fooling around. You know how jealous you are when you see them laughing together. You don't want them to be closer than you are with Ron. You think he's going to steal him away from you.

_Well, maybe, but really I just-_

"So… Hermione," Ron interrupted her thoughts. She had almost forgotten that they were walking together because she was so caught up in a mental argument. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Listen, Ron," started Hermione, as she led them to a stone bench on the opposite side of the garden that they had come from. She sat in the middle, and it took Ron a few moments to decide on which side to sit by her and how close he should sit. He finally decided to sit on the arm with his feet on the bench, facing her.

"Remember the other night, when we were laying in the grass and we were talking?" asked Hermione.

"Yeah, and we got so scared when Mum knocked over that can?" Ron smiled in memory of how frightened he had been, and the relief when he realized what had happened.

"Yeah. Well, before that happened, we had been talking about soul mates…"

"Oh yeah! I remember." Said Ron.

"Well, what's your take on them? What does it mean to you?"

"Soul mates…" Ron wondered for a moment about what he really thought of it. "…like someone you're perfectly comfortable with telling everything to… Mum and Dad were talking about it once and saying that they were soul mates because they were so comfortable together. They said you know you're soul mates when you would give your life for theirs, and when you have some connection you can't explain."

Hermione was silent for a minute. She was surprised at how much thought Ron had put into this. She wondered if he had thought about it before. She wondered…

"Ron, do you think you've found your soul mate yet?"

Ron's ears turned red and he looked down at his ratted shoes.

"I still feel so young… but really we're not that young anymore. But I think maybe we… well it's kinda crazy but…"

"Yes, Ron?" Hermione's heart started beating faster. Was he going to say what's she had been longing to hear for years? She knew, deep down, since she had met him that she loved him. She knew it. Yes, they got into fights sometimes, but all couples did. Her mind was racing. Was she finally going to get the chance to be with someone she truly cared about?

"Well, I think maybe we're old enough to understand who we love. And it might sound crazy… but…" Ron trailed off, looking embarrassed.

"Ron! It's alright, you don't have to say any more! I already know! I knew it all along!" Hermione jumped up and gave him a huge hug that almost knocked him off the bench.

Ron started laughing from nerves, and heaved a huge sigh of relief. "Oh Hermione, I'm so glad you understand. I thought for sure that you would think I was crazy for what I was going to say."

He began talking so fast, as if to let out something that had been plaguing him for a long time. "I mean, it's just that I've known Harry for such a long time, and it's kind of hard not to love your best mate, I mean, after all we've been through together, and we can really talk you know, and maybe it's crazy that I think we're soul mates but I really can't see myself with anyone else, but I was scared he'd think I was crazy for thinking all of this but, I … Hermione?" Ron paused from the sight of Hermione's confused face, her mouth wide open.

Hermione had stopped breathing. She stood there, motionless, her face static. Her jaw snapped shut at the sound of her own name.

"R- Ron… maybe you don't…. I mean, he's your best friend, we're talking about, soul mates… I mean, like who you want to marry… who you want to spend the rest of your- I mean…"

"Yeah… but see… I really do love him, more than anyone else. I knew you'd understand Hermione, you always understand. I really appreciate you listening and not thinking I'm crazy."

Hermione nodded silently as Ron got up from the bench and gave her another hug. "Oh, and Hermione, did I mention that you look stunning on that outfit, I mean literally, I was stunned at how different you look. It's kinda hot." Ron seemed giddy from letting out his inner secret, and seemed as though he would speak whatever was on his mind.

Hermione fumed inside. _How DARE he compliment me on how hot I am after telling me he's in love with HARRY!_

She sighed in frustration._ Why are ALL boys so COMPLICATED?_


End file.
